The joy of small things - children's writing matters

by Addy Farmer

This blog is not a look at plot or structure although, goodness knows, I could do with looking at those things. But it sounds too tiring for now and I've just signed up to spend a year having a good old think about, 'where I go wrong and how I can put it right', so maybe more of that laterz on.

gratuitous photo of cat typing or maybe the reason why my plots end up with cats saving the day

Neither is this blog to do with setting or character or language. Crumbs, it's not even about ghosts which is my absolute favourite thing. Today, dear reader, my blog is about the small things in your young reader's life and why they matter.

The Danger of Reading

By Candy Gourlay

Last week, I wrote If Books Are Mirrors, Where are Our Reflections? about a teacher conference that explored the importance of making sure children of all backgrounds and experiences are represented in the books they encounter.

Photo: John Christian Fjellestad | Flickr Creative Commons

Running a writing masterclass

By Paula Harrison

Me with fellow slushies Maureen Lynas and Addy Farmer in the pub afterwards (after eating a very large chocolate muffin)

Last Saturday, I went to Birmingham to run a session called A young series fiction masterclass which I'd offered to SCBWI members. By April, I'll have 20 young series books published over three different series (The Rescue Princesses, The Secret Rescuers and Tiara Friends mysteries) so I wanted to start sharing what I knew with other writers.